1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to devices that remove dirt, debris, contaminates, and the like from animal carcasses. More particularly, it relates to a striker assembly that includes a plurality of strikers mounted in radial relation to a rotatable frame so that rotation of the frame causes the strikers to repeatedly strike the hide of a carcass passing through a processing facility.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Small rotating fingers known as picking fingers are used in the poultry industry to remove feathers from chickens and the like in processing facilities. The machines that include such picking fingers are known as automatic defeathering machines. Larger rotating fingers known as whips are used in the pork industry for hair removal.
Conventional picking fingers or whips are attached to rotating drums or frames and extend radially therefrom relative to an axis of rotation thereof so that a carcass is repeatedly struck by the picking fingers or whips as the carcass is carried on a conveyor through a processing station.
Picking fingers have a head that is forced through an opening formed in a metal bar to seat in a recess under a head or a rim. When the picking fingers become worn and require replacement, they must be cut from the head using a knife or shears.
When whips are worn and in need of replacement, an elongate attachment rod that passes through a bore formed in the head of the whip must be removed from its engagement with the striker assembly.
There is a need for a striker assembly that facilitates replacement of worn out strikers.
More specifically, there is a need for a striker assembly that does not require cutting of the strikers with a knife or other cutting instrument when worn strikers are replaced. There is also a need for a striker assembly that does not require removal of elongate attachment rods when a striker requires replacement.
However, in view of the art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in this art how the identified needs could be met.